Smuggler of Shadows Book 2: The Hunt
by Kadirika7211
Summary: Set between Episodes 3&4. A Mandalorian Pilot has been drawn into the world of smuggling wanted beings out of the Empire's grasp. Now she is being hunted as she races against the clock to save an Imperial target. Just as the task begins to look promising, the game changes, leaving her to discover who she can trust when an old enemy comes out of the shadows. T for some violence.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is the second story in what is shaping up to be a series of fanfics. There are some spoilers for the first story contained here, so if you haven't read book 1 of the fics, I recommend you do so before continuing :)  
_

_Disclaimer: So I own nothing Star Wars, justthe characters I've created and their stories :) Otherwise, everything you see belongs to LucasArts, George Lucas, etc._

* * *

Kadira Sal leaned against the ramp of her ship, a sleek Phantom class starfighter. It was the only one of its kind, the design dating back to around the Mandalorian wars, and she was proud of it. Currently, she was using it as shelter from the rain that had decided to hit Mandalore without warning.

"What, afraid of getting wet?"

Kadira turned towards the voice of Ran Scorlo who was inside the ship, leaning down to look at her with a faint smile on his normally serious face. His dark hair was disheveled as always, brushing the scar he had received on their last mission. Ran had hired her over a year ago as a pilot, smuggler, bodyguard, and any other odd job he had in mind. They had just returned from Belsavis, an icy planet where their first 'real' mission together had gone terribly wrong. Kadira had discovered that Ran had hired her to smuggle beings wanted by the Empire out of danger. Unfortunately their target, a senator by the name of Alaida Dain, had turned out to be an Imperial Agent with her sights set on either killing Ran or taking him prisoner.

"_You're_ the one hiding in the ship," Kadira responded, crossing her arms and tilting her helmeted head up at him defiantly.

Ran was unable to see her expression through the green and gold T-visor helmet that marked her as Mandalorian, but he could guess that she was probably grinning. He was beginning to get used to seeing her in full armor, since she rarely seemed to don civilian clothes. When he'd asked her about it, she'd shrugged and said she didn't feel comfortable without the armor or the advanced head's-up display in her helmet, fondly known as a HUD. It fed her information about her surroundings, including a useful 360 degree view as well as an integrated comm system and any information the Holonet had to offer. Ran also suspected it was capable of much more, but had chosen not to ask. Already he had discovered more than one of Kadira's 'toys' as she called them were highly illegal. And not just within the strict Empire.

"Did you get the jetpack you were hoping for?" Ran asked, choosing to pursue a different line of conversation.

"I did. Though I paid an arm and a leg for it," Kadira said wryly, turning around so she was facing him. "Do you know how much that thing weighs? Thirty kilos."

Ran's brows lifted. "An arm and a leg, _and_ thirty extra kilos to carry around? All so you can kill yourself in a memorable way."

"Pessimist," Kadira accused, turning her back on him again. Some people just didn't know how to enjoy life.

"…Care to tell me what we're waiting on?" Ran asked finally, peering through the rain towards Keldabe, Mandalore's main city.

"A friend of mine is going to join us on this mission. Rumor has it he knows something about our copycat," Kadira answered, her eyes scanning the information her HUD was providing. She was referring to the bounty hunter who had blown up Ran's base on their last mission, killing all but Ran and one other. The hunter had also posed as Kadira, even going so far as to use the same armor colors and weapons. "But Ran? Try not to irritate him. He doesn't have my shining sense of humor."

Ran chuckled. "Duly noted. I'll be on my best behavior."

"Good, 'cause I'm not paying for your funeral," Kadira responded.

Ran was silent a moment before speaking up again, causing Kadira to close her eyes in a bid for patience. He spent a week on her ship, totally silent and grouchy, and now that they'd landed he wouldn't shut up.

"What exactly are the skeletons we flew over on the outskirts? It looked like some sort of Imperial base."

"It is," the voice that spoke was masculine, causing Kadira to turn as a figure emerged from the rain.

"_Su'cuy gar, _Laniff," she said, stepping forward to greet the red and orange armored Mandalorian. They clasped arms, with Laniff nodding in acknowledgement of the greeting.

"_Su'cuy, Kad'ika_," he said, squeezing her armored shoulder and looking up at Ran, who was still lounging in the doorway of the ship. "The bones you were asking about. It was built as a theme park of sorts, some idiot dreaming of making a profit catering to adventure tourists. The idea failed, and when the Empire came, somebody convinced them it was a sacred temple to us Mandos."

"Truth be told it was basically worthless," Kadira put in, smiling behind her helmet's expressionless visor.

"Worse than that, it was karking _ugly_. Nobody knew what to do with it. So we sold it to the Imps for their base. Last I heard they still think they're showing some sort of dominance over us by taking over our 'sacred temple'," Laniff said. Removing his helmet to reveal blonde hair and brown eyes, he thrust one hand at Ran. "Laniff Dreysel. Kadira said you had a mission where you might bump into Coorta Mashiri."

Ran stepped forward and clasped Laniff's hand with a nod. "If that's the name of the woman who was imitating Kadira, then yes. No offense, but how do I know we can trust you?" The two men were already looking each other over speculatively, suspicion evident in both parties.

Laniff chuckled dryly, his serious brown eyes crinkling slightly in amusement. "I've known Kadira since before she was a Mando. If anything, I should be asking _you_ that question. You're an _aruetii_, an outsider. Mandalorians don't trust your kind easily. And I know nothing about you," Laniff's smile was sharp. "No offense."

"Knock it off, both of you," Kadira interceded finally, slapping Laniff lightly upside the head. He ducked and lifted one golden eyebrow at her but said nothing more, instead settling his helmet back into place. "We don't have time for you two to fight over who's the alpha kath hound here, alright? Can we get moving, before Dain and Mashiri get the jump on us?"

Ran shrugged and disappeared out of the doorway, heading back inside the ship. Laniff looked over at Kadira, tilting his helmeted head questioningly.

"You trust him?" he asked simply.

"Mostly. I know he'd have my back in a fight, if that's what you're asking. He might not be too open about himself, but neither are you," Kadira pointed out, crossing her arms. "Cut him some slack."

Laniff shrugged, swinging his sniper rifle over his shoulder. "Fine. But I still think _kaysh mirsh solus."_

Kadira slapped the back of his helmet again, harder this time. He didn't duck, instead reaching out and giving her shoulder a playful shove back.

"Behave," he mock-scolded, ducking inside the ship before she could retaliate. When Kadira followed, she found Ran just inside the door, eyebrow lifted.

"What was it he said?" he asked with a challenge in his tone. Kadira removed her green and gold helmet, rolling her eyes.

"Translated literally? 'His brain cell is lonely'," she answered, her damaged voice low and rasping without her helmet's vocoder. Ran could also see the burn scar that started at her right cheekbone and disappeared under her armor, something she hadn't ever bothered to explain.

Pulling her straight brown hair back from her face, Kadira lifted one eyebrow at Ran. "What, no comebacks?"

Ran simply rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the wall with one hand. "You and bucket-head come to the navigational room. I'll fill you in on what you need to know before we take off."

Kadira sighed and shook her head as Ran moved off. This was going to be a very long trip.

* * *

"Onderon is a fairly temperate planet. Pretty much the only real city is also their capitol, Iziz. Our goal is just outside the city, an Imperial Ordinance base," Ran was explaining, pointing to a section on the hologram of Onderon he had pulled up. Both Kadira and Laniff were typing commands into their HUDs, storing the information for later review.

"We'll need to get inside that base, as all my intel is pointing to Zul Blok being a worker there," Ran continued, pulling up a different image. This one was of a male zabrak. "This is Blok. We know that the Imperials have a strong interest in him, our guess is as a target. We managed to decode a datapad taken from Alaida Dain, who from what we know is a high ranking Imperial agent. Most of it translated to gibberish, but Blok's name kept popping up. Our job is to infiltrate the base and get him out of there. By now he's probably figured out something is wrong. Zabraks aren't known for being stupid. If we can get someone inside and convince him we're not his enemies, then we should be able to get him out and discover why Dain is trying to get to him."

"We know for sure he's being targeted?" Laniff asked, looking up at Ran.

"Blok has been involved in three 'accidents' over the past three weeks. Each time he barely made it out alive. You do the math," Ran responded, lifting one eyebrow.

Laniff shrugged. "Sounds legitimate to me. Kadira won't be able to enter the base, not with the bounty on her head."

"Either you or I will have to go in," Ran agreed.

"Pity Tyron decided to take a vacation," Kadira observed wryly. "He would have loved this job."

"I'll go," Laniff said, ignoring Kadira's comment. "From what I understand, you make a pretty good Advisor. And if I get caught, there isn't a massive bounty on my head."

Ran nodded. "Alright. We'll hammer out the plan more once we get a good look at the ordinance depot. Kadira, I think it's best if you plot that new hyperspace route you mentioned earlier. I'd rather have as much of an element of surprise as you can give us."

Kadira gave a lazy salute and walked to the cockpit, leaving Ran and Laniff to continue poring over the map, discussing Onderon in more detail. She just hoped they could get along at least for a little while.

"I really don't want to have to clean blood off my ship," she muttered, punching the hyperspace coordinates into the _Vanguard_'s navicomputer. As the ship began to rise, Kadira settled back into the pilot's seat, grateful to be on the move once more. She didn't like the idea of leaving Alaida Dain to whatever plans the woman had.

* * *

_A/N: And we're off on a new story :) Reviews mean the world to me! :)_


	2. Chapter 2

Kadira gripped the edge of a table, fighting to keep her balance as the _Vanguard_ bucked violently. Apparently the new hyperspace route hadn't been the best of ideas.

Ran stumbled, catching the back of a chair and sending a pointed look in Kadira's direction before continuing the briefing he was giving them. More information had come in about the Ordinance base when they had stopped on a small moon to refuel, allowing them to plan out the rescue in more detail.

"Laniff, you'll have full credentials that will check out in the Imperial systems. All you have to do is find Blok and break him out. After that, Kadira and I will cover you to get to the ship. Kadira, I want you as a sniper. I wouldn't put it past Coorta to take a distance shot to get rid of Blok. Speaking of Mashiri, what can you tell us about her, Laniff?"

Laniff crossed his arms slowly, his expression unreadable thanks to his red and orange helmet.

"I don't know much," he warned. "She's too good to leave a large trail. I know she doesn't tend to leave witnesses. Your friend Tyron was lucky she wanted to leave Kadira a message. I can tell you that Coorta looks at hunting and killing as one big game. My guess is she thinks you and Ran are worthy adversaries, and so has chosen you as opponents. In her mind, you lost the last game when Dain outsmarted you. But my guess is Coorta still thinks you might end up being entertaining." Laniff sighed slightly. "I've been after Coorta for a long time, but you are the only ones I've seen her leave alive after one of her games. I have a suspicion that she has something especially nasty planned for you. A lot of people think she's crazy, and frankly I wouldn't be too quick to disagree. But she's still incredibly dangerous. I've uploaded everything I have on her to the _Vanguard_'s data system," he tilted his head at Ran, his voice taking on a slight hint of amusement. "And no, the toys I used to get that info weren't even close to legal."

* * *

The _Vanguard_ dropped suddenly out of hyperspace, the green and blue globes of Onderon and Dxun clearly visible in the cockpit viewport. Kadira saw Laniff visibly slump in relief in the copilot's seat, looking over at her accusingly.

"Sorry Laniff, but last I checked I can't control how smooth a hyperspace route is," Kadira said, raising her hands as if to ward off an attack. "Besides, Ran is the one who said to try out the new route, so go glare at him."

"I don't care. Just get us grounded so I can kiss the soil," Laniff retorted gruffly, leaning back in his seat. Ran entered the cockpit, looking just as relieved to be about to land.

"Kadira? Next time we'll take the normal route," he said, rubbing his face with one hand. "I'd rather not get smashed to pieces on the return trip."

_::Identitfy your craft and intended landing site, pilot,::_ the official sounding voice came from the _Vanguard_'s comm, saving Kadira from having to think of a comeback. Instead she leaned forward to answer, motioning Ran to be quiet.

"This is the _Vanguard_, requesting permission to land in Iziz."

_::Your business?::_

"Bounty hunting," Kadira responded smoothly.

_::Permission granted. Two fighters will escort you to the landing site, recommend you do not deviate from their course.::_

"Copy," Kadira responded, turning the ship smoothly to follow the two small fighters that were to be their escort. She set the _Vanguard_ down smoothly, settling her helmet into place and listening to her suit seal before she rose from her seat. "So how are we going to pull this off?" she asked, her voice completely different once more. The vocoder imbedded in her helmet made her sound slightly menacing. " 'Cause no offence Laniff, but you don't really look like someone they'll just let onto an Imperial Ordinance base."

Laniff glanced down at his dented and scratched armor, which bore more than one mark from a blaster. "I don't know, I think it says 'Weapons specialist'," he replied evenly.

"I'd say more like human target," Ran observed, doing little to hide the faint smile that touched his face.

Laniff tilted his head, seeming to study Ran from beneath the expressionless visor of his helmet. "So you do have a sense of humor. Good to know."

Ran didn't reply, instead ducking out of the cockpit. When he came back carrying a stormtrooper uniform, Kadira crossed her arms.

"And you complain when _I_ do something illegal. I think this stands a little higher in the Empire's 'don't list' than an audio tracer."

Ran just smiled, holding out the uniform and looking much too amused. "Congratulations, Laniff. You've just been accepted as a full-fledged stormtrooper."

"Lucky me," Laniff replied, removing his helmet with a sigh.

* * *

Kadira glanced up from fiddling with her new jetpack, watching Ran pace back and forth.

"Ran. You're going to wear a groove in the floor," she said dryly, looking back down to the jetpack. The rocket's sighting apparatus wasn't linking up to her HUD, leaving her to fiddle with it while Ran served as Laniff's advisor. "He knows what he's doing, so quit acting anxious."

"The last time we came up against Dain she outmaneuvered us. That is not going to happen again," Ran replied sharply, continuing to pace. "Besides, I'm not anxious."

"Ran. You're still pacing."

He ignored her and she sighed, turning her back to him. "Sithspit, you're making _me _nervous," she muttered, continuing to work on the jetpack. In truth, she was continuously checking Laniff's status on her HUD, thanks to the tracking beacon they had placed on him.

_::Checking in,::_ Laniff's voice came in through the comm imbedded in Kadira's helmet as well as Ran's comm. _::All's well so far. Wherever you get your credentials, _aruetii_, you ought to pay them double whatever you're currently paying. Everything checked out smooth as you please.::_

"They're being paid enough, believe me," Ran replied dryly.

_::Though I will say, I don't envy these stormtroopers. This armor is karking horrible.::_

"Focus, Laniff," Ran admonished.

_::You're not the one with a blind spot the size of a bantha,:: _Laniff retorted_. :: But no word on Blok yet. I managed to get on a patrol, I'll see if I can find him. Any word on Coorta or Dain?::_

"Nothing," Kadira chimed in. "I've been running scans on every ship that docks here and I have a couple informants who will let me know if she slips past. No news yet. If she docks here, I'll know it."

::Keep me updated, _vod_. _K'oyacyi.::_

"_K'oyacyi," _Kadira responded before shutting off her comm.

"Translation?" Ran asked, causing Kadira to glance up at him grimly.

"It's used as a goodbye. It literally means 'stay alive'."

"Then _K'oyacyi _to all of us," Ran said grimly, looking back to the hologram of Onderon that still hovered in the data room of the ship.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry if this one reads a bit choppy, had a rough time writing this one for some reason. Reviews are greatly appreciated :)_


	3. Chapter 3

Ran watched as Kadira finally slapped her hand against the jetpack victoriously. It had taken her a good two hours of work, but apparently she had discovered whatever glitch the system had.

"I have a question," Ran spoke up, leaning back against the wall. He had finally stopped pacing when Kadira had thrown a hydrospanner at him.

"Ask away," Kadira replied, glancing up at him as she began to piece the jetpack back together.

"Laniff's armor colors. I would think he'd want something a bit more… camouflaged."

Kadira laughed softly. "You haven't spent much time around Mandos, have you? We don't tend to worry about being inconspicuous. Actually, we have a saying, 'It's one thing to see us coming, it's another to do something about it'."

Ran chuckled slightly. "I can understand why. But do the colors have meaning, or do you just pick at random?"

Kadira tightened a bolt on the jetpack's casing, considering her answer. "It depends. Some Mandos just pick colors they're fond of. Others choose the colors for symbolism. For Laniff, the red stands for honoring a father and the goldish-orange stands for both vengeance and a lust for life."

"Vengeance?" Ran asked, but Kadira shook her head.

"Not my story to tell," she responded, pounding the side of the jetpack to be sure the panel was held securely in place. "Maybe if you two could get along for more than five minutes you could find out why he chose his colors."

"It's not my fault he doesn't like me," Ran said, shrugging.

Kadira shook her head slightly. "It's not that he doesn't like you, he just doesn't trust you yet. After all, he was correct in saying we don't know much about you," she raised her hands as Ran opened his mouth to retort. "I'm not saying we need your life story, Ran. I'm just saying that if you're going to keep secrets then it'll take some time for Laniff to trust you. But he will come around."

"…And what about you?" Ran asked quietly. "Do you trust me?"

Kadira sighed and set the finished jetpack aside, removing her helmet so she could rub her face with one hand.

"I trust you to tell me what I need to know. I trust you to watch my back, to keep me from getting shot," she studied him, seeing the dark look that crossed his face for a moment before disappearing. "But Ran? …I think if it came down to it, you'd put the mission before anything else. And I don't mean these individual scattered missions. I mean whatever the big picture of all this is. Whatever you're working towards, or for, I think that will always come first." She smiled slightly, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. "So I just have to make sure I don't get in a spot where you have to choose. Because if I find myself relying on you to find a way out for me, but you have to make a choice between your ultimate goal and getting me out…" Kadira shrugged again, seemingly unwilling to finish the thought. "So I guess the answer is yes, I trust you, so long as I don't put you in a position of having to choose. If that ever happens, I know I'm on my own."

Ran opened his mouth to answer, then closed it again, pain in his eyes. "I wish I could say none of that is true," he said finally.

Kadira smiled slightly, shrugging again. "It's ok. I'm a Mandalorian, Ran. We've fought other people's wars for generations. If worse comes to worst, I'll always have my _vod_ at my back."

Ran nodded slowly, letting out a long breath. How he'd managed to hire a pilot with Kadira's insight, he would never know.

* * *

_::Reporting in,::_ Laniff's voice came through the comlinks, causing Kadira and Ran to breathe a sigh of relief. They had both been getting anxious about Laniff's long silence. _::What, did you miss me?::_

"Usually, reporting in means you actually have something to report," Ran pointed out, irritation coloring his voice.

_::Calm down, _aruetii_. Good news is I've managed to locate Blok. Bad news is he's being kept in a holding cell.::_

"What does security look like?" Kadira asked, smiling slightly as Ran rolled his eyes skyward, obviously fighting the urge to fling a comeback at Laniff.

_::Nothing too fancy. Thankfully the Empire seems to lack imagination as well as good armor. Problem is, busting Blok out is going to make some noise.::_

"How much noise?" Ran asked suspiciously.

_::Oh you know, detonator against the wall. I'm guessing I'll need three in order to bust through the block's walls, but after that it's a straight shot into the jungle. The Imps will be chasing the alarms for a few minutes, especially if Kadira can use the _Vanguard_ to hack their systems, set off a couple extra alarms.::_

"One problem. There's a reason Iziz is the only major city on Onderon," Ran said, grimacing.

_::…And that reason is?::_

"Onderon is known for its rather... aggressive wildlife. In the Mandalorian Wars criminals were placed outside the walls of the city as punishment. Apparently most of them didn't last long without the protection the walls offered. Granted, the jungle's population has decreased since then, thanks to a couple breakouts of disease, but the locals still warn outsiders not to go past the treeline," Ran explained.

_::Lovely… Either way, we'll have to risk it. I'm not seeing another way that doesn't end with me getting shot in the back.::_

Ran nodded slowly, seeming to agree. "Alright, but move as fast as you can through the jungle. And I want you in constant comm contact."

"I can make it to the jungle and cover him," Kadira offered. "He'll need all the weapons he can get, and he won't have his armor or HUD to feed him information."

Ran nodded. "Good idea. Laniff, you catch that?"

_::Sure did. I'll set the charges and meet you in the jungle just after nightfall. Kadira, can you control setting off the alarms with your HUD?::_ Laniff asked.

"I can. And this way I'll have eyes on the base, so I can direct the stormtroopers away from you more easily."

_::Sounds like we have a plan. I'll check in again right before I blow the charges. Stay safe, _Kad'ika_. Don't get eaten before I get to you.::_

"Copy," Kadira replied dryly. "_Oya_!"

::_Oya_!:: Laniff repeated the cheer that was often spoken at the beginning of a hunt before signing off the comm.

* * *

Kadira hunkered down in the semidarkness, waiting for Laniff to make his move. Her new jetpack was strapped to her back, its status light glowing green within her HUD. Her DC-17m rifle was wedged firmly against her shoulder, the sniper attachment already in place. She had switched her HUD's systems over to voice command, allowing her to control the hacked alarm system without having to let go of her rifle.

"Anything on Coorta?" she asked, activating the comm channel that allowed her to keep in contact with Ran.

_::Nothing yet. I'm starting to think she might already be here.::_

"Wouldn't surprise me," Kadira responded with a grimace. "She's known for staying a step ahead of everyone else."

_::Watch your back out there.::_

"Copy," Kadira replied, glancing up at her HUD's 360 view. So far the only life signs it had picked up were keeping their distance.

_::You two ready?::_ This time it was Laniff's voice that came through the comm. Kadira adjusted her rifle slightly, pressing her helmeted cheek to the stock.

"Ready when you are," she responded.

_::Ready here,::_ Ran confirmed.

Kadira's HUD adjusted sharply to the sudden blinding flash of light, her helmet's audio dampeners working hard to shut out most of the noise from the blast. Two figures darted out of the newly made hole in the base's wall, making a dash for the jungle. Kadira fired two shots at the security droids that appeared behind them, sending both to the ground in smoking heaps.

"Alarms, east quadrant." A second set of alarms began blaring alongside the ones the blast had originally set off. She could hear the shouted orders of the stormtroopers over the comm channels she was listening in on, giving her a good idea of the response the alarms were creating. When the first troops reached the east quadrant and reported a false alarm, Kadira set off three more quadrants. She knew protocol required each alarm to be checked before it could be discounted. Finally her HUD picked up two running figures headed directly towards her position. As Laniff and Block burst through the trees, she saw Laniff raise his weapon.

"Laniff, if you shoot me I swear I will make you find your own ship to get home," Kadira warned, rising to her feet. She kept her rifle pointed towards the ground, but never far from a firing position.

"Just being careful, _vod_," Laniff responded, lowering his weapon. "Kadira, meet Zul Blok. Zul, this is an old friend of mine."

Blok nodded sharply, glancing towards the base. "We should keep moving," his voice was calm and deep, showing no nervousness over his hasty escape.

"Ran's waiting for us on the _Vanguard_. We'll use the jungle for cover as long as we can. After that, we'll move as quickly as possible through the streets."

Zul nodded, seeming to accept the plan without question. "Two things. One, there's information hidden on Dxun that I need to access before we flee the system. Second, I'll be needing a blaster."

Kadira tossed him one of her pistols at a nod from Laniff. "We'll talk to Ran about getting you to Dxun once we reach the ship. For now, let's get moving before something large decides we look like a tasty meal."

* * *

_A/N: Thoughts? I really do love reviews! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Kadira and Laniff moved carefully, their comms constantly activated as Ran had requested. The jungle made travel slow, especially with all three of them moving warily. The last thing they wanted to do was run into a stormtrooper patrol. Laniff's own stormtrooper gear was far from camouflaged, leaving Kadira glad that he was used to being seen. Red and orange didn't blend into many landscapes.

More than once they had needed to make a detour in order to avoid some large creature Kadira's HUD warned them was close. None of them wanted to be drawn into a battle with the local wildlife if they could avoid it. Zul occasionally offered direction when Kadira's HUD was unable to pick out the best path, leaving both Mandalorians grateful for his apparent experience.

_::Kadira, Laniff, we've got a problem,::_ Ran's voice came over the comm, sounding worried. Laniff raised one hand in a signal for everyone to stop. Zul looked between them, but didn't question as he saw both Mandalorians place a hand to their helmets.

"What's going on, Ran?" Laniff asked, glancing across at Kadira.

_::Coorta has already arrived in the city. It looks like she beat us here by a few days.::_

"If she's already here, why hasn't she made a move?" Kadira questioned warily.

_::She was about to. I've just gotten word that Coorta planned to move tonight. Zul was placed in the holding cell so that Coorta would have easy access to him.::_

"Oh _shab_," Laniff muttered, gripping his rifle tighter. "We're going to need to move faster. No doubt Coorta knows we're here and that we have Zul. If she was here early, she was probably notified when we landed. But why didn't she try to stop us?"

_::My guess is she was aware we were here and that we were planning something. But the only time she's seen us work was on Belsavis, where we were working a much more cautious angle,:: _Ran explained.

"So she didn't see this coming. At least not so quickly," Kadira said, picking up her pace to keep up with Laniff and Zul.

::_Exactly_.::

"Is there another route we can take back to the ship, cityboy?" Kadira asked. "This is the first one we thought of, which means Coorta has probably thought of it also."

_::Negative. You're too far in to abandon this way now. If you leave the treeline, you'll be in full sight of both Coorta and any stormtroopers looking for you.::  
_  
"I'm not too concerned with the stormtroopers," Laniff said dryly. "Believe me, I wasn't kidding when I said this suit has a blind spot the size of a bantha."

_::Unfortunately Coorta doesn't have that handicap,::_ Ran responded. _::There's one other thing you should know. Coorta is apparently outfitted in full Mandalorian armor.::_

Kadira stumbled in surprise, just barely regaining her footing in time to avoid a fall.

"She's wearing _beskar'gam_?" she asked incredulously, using the Mandalorian word for armor.

"Ran, how in the word did she manage to get a hold of Mando armor?" Laniff asked urgently. "If she has the firepower to match-"

_::Then you're currently evenly matched,::_ Ran finished grimly_. ::I know. Get Zul back to the ship as fast as you can. The sooner you're both fully outfitted, the better I'll feel.::_

"Laniff, we have something large approaching," Kadira warned suddenly, bringing her rifle up fully to her shoulder as her HUD began to flash in warning. Whatever it was, it was moving fast.

"How large?" Laniff asked, drawing to a halt. Zul stopped beside Laniff, placing his tattooed shoulder against the Mandalorian's at an angle. When Kadira reached them and placed herself on Laniff's other side the three made a small ring, each facing outwards warily.

"Very large," Kadira answered grimly.

"Flying or grounded?" Zul spoke up, his voice still as calm as before.

"Flying," Kadira answered as her HUD finally was able to offer a better view of the creature. It was still a fair distance away, but covering ground fast.

"Probably a drexl. Nasty creatures," Zul said raising his pistol.

Kadira's HUD brought up an entry about the drexl, causing Kadira to wince.

"Laniff, we're looking at a scaley flying lizard...thing," she said finally, unable to think of another word to describe the creature.

"They're predators, one of the main reasons Iziz was built. Aim for the eyes, and don't break apart," Zul instructed. Kadira glanced at the image in her HUD before tossing Zul her other pistol.

"That one doesn't have a trigger, just a pressure sensitive grip. I think you're gonna need it."

Zul chuckled, the sound low and calm as he brought the modified scout pistol to bear. "When this is over Mando, you're going to have to connect me to your weapons supplier."

"If you can keep this thing from eating us, I'll be glad to," Kadira responded wryly, eliciting another laugh from Zul.

The drexl crashed through the jungle canopy without warning, letting out a high pitched shriek that seemed to shatter the silence. Laniff and Zul both opened fire with rapid pistol shots, causing the drexl to shriek again as the blaster bolts lit up the nght. Kadira's shots were slower as she used her rifle's magnifying sights to cause as much damage as she could. The drexl crashed to the ground and backpedaled, shrieking in pain and blind fury. It obviously hadn't been expecting its prey to fight back.

"Now we run," Zul instructed, slamming another power cartridge into each pistol.

"Not gonna argue with you there, _vod_," Laniff replied as Zul spun to race in the other direction, Laniff and Kadira following closely. They could hear the drexl crashing through the jungle behind them in pursuit, still shrieking in fury. The three abandoned all attempts at silence, instead crashing through the underbrush as fast as they could. Stormtroopers were the least of their worries at the moment.

Laniff stumbled slightly, nearly losing his footing as a root caught his foot.

"Keep going!" Kadira urged, steadying him with one hand and firing her rifle with the other. A pained shriek signaled her shot had struck home.

"Does it _look_ like I'm going to stop?" Laniff snapped in reply, firing off more shots behind them as he caught up to Zul.

The zabrak looked like he was enjoying the chase, his yellow eyes shining as he occasionally turned to fire back at the drexl. Somehow he still managed to remain calm and focused, making Kadira wonder what exactly he had done to make the Empire come after him with such a vengeance.

"We're almost to the edge of the treeline," Kadira informed Zul and Laniff, snapping off multiple shots with her rifle. "Once we get there, we'll have to make a dash for Iziz."

The end of the jungle came almost without warning. The drexl seemed to be falling behind, apparently reluctant to continue its pursuit of such difficult prey when the jungle had much easier meals to offer.

Kadira ventured to the edge of the treeline, looking towards the lights of the city. Her HUD picked up no more lifesigns in the bare stretch of ground before the walls, causing Kadira to nod.

"Alright, let's get moving. I'd rather not give Coorta any time to form a secondary plan. Especially since it's not likely to work out in our favor. Laniff, you and Zul go first. I'll cover you from here. When you're across you can cover me. Sound good?"

"Stay safe," Laniff responded before looking over at Zul. The zabrak nodded once, the horns on his head catching the faint moonlight and sending strange shadows dancing over his tattooed face.

"Lead the way, bucket-head," Zul said, flashing a sharp grin.

"Why is it I always get that name?" Laniff muttered before darting out into the open, Zul following close behind.

The two made it to cover without incident. Kadira was just about to follow when her HUD flashed another warning. Dropping to one knee, she pressed her cheek against the stock of her rifle. Taking two breaths, she held the second and waited. With a crash, the drexl burst through the canopy once more, only to be met by a single well placed shot. The creature crumpled the rest of the way to the forest floor, unmoving. Kadira let out the breath she was holding, standing and swinging her rifle over her shoulder.

"Ran? How is it you always manage to stay away from all the nasty critters on these missions?"

* * *

Coorta Mashiri crouched in the rubble of Zul Blok's former cell, her gold armor reflecting the light of the glowstick she held. Her HUD was running scans on the rubble and the pieces of explosive she had found mixed in with the chunks of duracrete that had been blown out of the wall. Already she had scanned the security feeds, finding that the alarms had indeed been hacked.

"Well played, Scorlo," she murmured softly. She hadn't been expecting such a bold move from Ran and his pet Mandalorian, at least not yet. Scorlo was usually one to spend more time planning than this. "But the game's not over. _Ib'tuur jatne tuur ash'ad kyr'amur._ Today is a good day for someone else to die."

She rose smoothly to her feet and slipped out of the cell. Scorlo could have his victory for now. She knew Zul hadn't collected the information he'd gathered, and he'd never leave without it. Coorta would simply follow the womprat back to its nest. Then would she make her move.

* * *

_A/N: I'd love to hear any thoughts, and reviews really do make me smile like an idiot :)_


	5. Chapter 5

The small group made their way through the streets of Iziz with minimal incidents. Every so often they had to veer off course to avoid an Imperial patrol. The times they were unable to dodge the stormtroopers Laniff's armor came in handy as the stormtroopers simply nodded and waved them on. None seemed inclined to inquire about Kadira, and Zul was careful to stay in the shadows lest he be recognized.

When they at last reached the _Vanguard_, Laniff collapsed into a chair and removed his helmet with a sigh of relief.

"Praise the Force, I can see again," Laniff quipped, tossing the stormtrooper helmet aside. "Tell me, how in the galaxy has the Empire survived with soldiers who can't see a blasted thing? I'm surprised more of them haven't fallen off a cliff with the visibility that thing offers." He gestured vaguely to the discarded helmet, leaning his head back curiously as Ran entered the room. Seeing who it was, Laniff blew out a breath and closed his eyes dismissively.

"Glad you all made it back in one piece," Ran observed, smiling wryly as he glanced over each of them. Seeing Zul, he stepped forward and held out his hand. "You must be Zul."

"A safe assumption," Zul said, rising to his feet with a slight smile. "I'm assuming you're Ran Scorlo."

Ran nodded. "Kadira mentioned you need to get to Dxun."

"There's information stored there I can't afford to leave," Zul confirmed.

Kadira and Laniff exchanged a glance before looking to Ran.

"You should know that Dxun's jungles are worse than Onderon's. Lots of big, nasty beasties," Laniff said finally. Seeing Ran's lifted eyebrow, Laniff shrugged one shoulder. "We've done a few training missions there. And before you ask, no, they weren't really legal either."

"It technically still belongs to Mandalore," Kadira explained, tying her hair back once more. "We won it back in the Mandalorian wars. We tried to take Onderon, but that didn't work out so well."

"So that's the reason for all the dirty looks you two were getting in the streets," Ran observed with a slow smile. "I was wondering what they had against Mandalorians. Seems like a long time to hold a grudge."

Kadira grinned. "You obviously haven't seen how long we Mandos can hold a grudge. Either way, Dxun is going to require that we all be in the field. So no more hiding out in my ship."

* * *

Dxun was only a short flight away, barely giving Laniff time to change back into his red and orange armor before they landed. As they waited for Ran and Zul to finish planning out their route, Kadira and Laniff checked each other's equipment.

"Jetpack holding up?" Laniff asked, pounding on it once to be sure nothing sounded loose.

"Seems to be," Kadira answered. They turned as Ran and Zul entered the room. "We have a plan?"

Ran nodded. "I'm staying with Zul. He's going to need a slicer to help him get into the bunker his data is stored in. Kadira, you and Laniff will follow behind. I want both of you scanning for Coorta. I have a feeling she'll try to make her move here. There's plenty of cover, and from what I understand there's more than a few critters here who would like to make a meal out of us. Your job is to keep Coorta off our tail and to keep us from getting eaten."

"Please say you're at least bringing a blaster this time?" Kadira asked, settling her helmet in place.

Ran chuckled softly. "I'm bringing a blaster, don't worry. Your job is to make sure I don't have to use it."

Kadira's HUD flickered to life, flooding her senses with data. A flashing image in the corner of her screen made her grimace. "Looks like you were right, Ran. A ship just landed about seven kilometers away, my guess is it's Coorta. Shall we get moving? I really don't want her to find us all bunched up here."

The three made their way out of the ship, with Kadira closing the ramp behind them. She smiled grimly as she looked up at the _Vanguard_. Coorta would have a few surprises if she tried to break in again. Laniff nodded in Kadira's direction and the two split off, keeping each other within range of their HUDs. Laniff's status was constantly displayed in Kadira's HUD and vice versa, as well as his distance and relative location to her. Both Ran and Zul had tracing beacons on them, calibrated so both Kadira and Laniff would be able to keep track of them.

_::Ok, we're going to move and move fast,::_ Ran's voice came over the comm. _::Try to keep up, you two.::_

_::Try not to trip, Scorlo,:: _Laniff retorted._  
_

Kadira kept her rifle at her shoulder in a ready position, keeping her eyes fixed on the faint trail and the details her HUD sent her. After a few minutes of jogging she was beginning to remember how much she had hated the training missions on Dxun.

The sound of blaster fire came from her left and Kadira spun, rifle up.

_::Keep going, just a rather determined cannock,::_ Laniff informed them. Kadira lowered her rifle and settled back into a steady jog. The jungle on Dxun was even thicker than the one on Onderon, making progress incredibly slow.

_::Kadira, you've got something on your tail. My HUD's sensors aren't picking up exactly what it is, but it looks large. I'm coming your way to help you fight off whatever it is. Ran, you and Zul keep moving,::_ Laniff spoke. Kadira glanced up to her helmet's 360 view, seeing the life form Laniff was warning her about.

"Laniff. Don't come this way. Repeat, do _not_ come this way!" she spoke urgently, glancing up at the sheer rock wall to her right. "The thing behind me is a zakkeg. Stay on Ran and Zul."

She could now see a full thermal image of the beast in her HUD. It was large and heavy, with a strong tail and and multiple knobby growths on its body that acted as a defense. She knew from experience that it was red, with thick leathery skin that had been compared to durasteel plating. It just so happened to be the alpha species on Dxun.

"_Shab_, why do I always get the nasty crits?" she grumbled, snapping the anti-armor attachment onto her rifle. The beast crashed through the jungle's foliage, stopping and lowering its massive head to study her. She could see the spikes around the creature's head which she knew were hard and strong. "Go on, ugly guy," she murmured, circling slowly and trying to get in the creature's blindspot. "Get out of here. I don't have time-"

The sound of a massive explosion cut her short, causing her to swing her rifle around in the direction it had come from. The zakkeg's angry roar warned her that had been a mistake just before it plowed into her, knocking her off her feet and sending her rifle skidding away from her.

Kadira slammed into the rock wall, struggling to free herself as she was pounded against the sharp stone. She could hear the scraping of the stone against her armor even as she pounded her gauntlet clad fist into the zakkeg's nose repeatedly, trying to free herself. The beast was straining against her armor with its teeth, trying to crush the _beskar_ plates and getting even more furious when then metal refused to give. The zakkeg shoved her against the rock even harder, latching its teeth around her upper arm and using its shoulder to keep her pinned. Kadira shouted in frustration and pain as the zakkeg's teeth found their way around one of the armor plates. She managed to twist her other arm over the side of the zakkeg's head, shouting different terms of abuse. She curled her hand into a fist, tripping a trigger with her glove. A small wrist blade shot out of her gauntlet and sliced the skin on the side of the zakkeg's face, doing only minimal damage but causing the creature to rear back in pain and surprise. Kadira took advantage of the distraction and rolled away. Stumbling to her feet, she just barely managed to throw herself to the side in time to avoid being struck by the beast's heavy tail. In the distance, Kadira could hear the sound of creatures crashing through the jungle in fear.

_::Kadira? What in the karking galaxy is going on?::_

"I'm a little bit busy, Ran!" Kadira snapped in reply.

The zakkeg lowered its head and roared, charging once more. Just before the animal reached her, Kadira slammed the firing button on her jetpack, sending her over the zakkeg's head with a spurt of flame. She came down on the other side of the massive creature, feeling its tail slam into her back and send her stumbling to her knees with a grunt. She glanced up and smiled slightly, seeing her rifle only a few feet to the side. Kadira dove for it, skidding on her stomach to reach it. She brought it to her shoulder as the beast charged again, bellowing angrily. Seeing she wouldn't have time to fire without blowing herself up in the process, Kadira tucked herself into a protective ball around her rifle. The Zakkeg bowled over her, sending Kadira rolling off to the side with a sharp pain in her ribs as the creature's massive feet pounded her armored body. The creature skidded to a halt at the rock face, still bellowing in rage.

Kadira rose gingerly to one knee, pulling the undamaged rifle snugly into her shoulder. When the zakkeg turned to rush her again, Kadira fired off the first anti-armor round, slamming another into the magazine and pulling the trigger a second time. The zakkeg crashed to ground, dead only inches from trampling her for the second time. Kadira lowered the rifle, wincing as she felt her mangled arm twinge in protest. With a low groan, she rose shakily to her feet, unsnapping the anti-armor attachment and clipping it back to her belt.

"_Bic ni skana'din_," she muttered, glancing at the dead zakkeg. She really _was_ ticked off. "Ran? You probably want to start moving faster. Coorta just set off a massive explosion, and it sounds like most of the local wildlife is headed in our direction," Kadira said, swinging her rifle over her shoulder and beginning to run, ignoring her battered body's protests. She smiled grimly as she heard Laniff cursing in three languages at once.

_::Does that _chakaaryc_ ever give up?::_ he asked incredulously, his voice labored with the effort of running through a hostile jungle.

"Doesn't look like it," Kadira responded, grimacing as she glanced up at her HUD's scanners. Coorta's explosion had sent a good number of creatures stampeding towards Kadira and the others. "Clever, _ge'hutuun_. But you're going to have to do better than that," she murmured, picking up her pace once more.

* * *

Coorta kept her hand to the side of her helmet, her head tilted as she listened in on the conversation of Ran's crew. She laughed softly as she heard Kadira's insult.

"Oh, I don't care if you respect me, Kadira Sal," she murmured. "And you're the criminal here, not me. But at least now you're playing my game. "

She smiled and slid a vibroblade into her boot before straightening and heading into the jungle. It was time to divide the group. Without his Mandalorian bodyguards Scorla wouldn't stand a chance. Coorta touched two fingers to the dark blue shriek hawk symbol on the shoulder of her armor, smiling slightly.

"_Oya_."

* * *

_A/N: Some more action this time :) I'm going to try to put in some more battles, to keep it feeling more 'Mandalorian' :) Thoughts? I love reviews :)_


	6. Chapter 6

The crashing in the undergrowth was getting louder as the animals outpaced Kadira and the others. Both Kadira and Laniff had broken into a full run by the time a second explosion went off. This one was much closer, causing both Mandalorians to duck and find cover as a string of other explosions went off at the same time. The ground itself shook under their feet, making keeping their footing a struggle.

A loud rumbling signaled some sort of destruction, causing both Laniff and Kadira to sprint forward as soon as the explosions ceased. They came within sight of what had been their path at the same time, causing Laniff to send up a string of curses more impressive than the last.

_::Laniff, Kadira, what's your status?::_ Ran's voice came over the comm, his heavy breathing indicating he was still running.

"We're fine, trapped by a rockslide," Kadira answered, glancing over at Laniff who was inspecting the slope. He turned to her and shook his head. "We can't get to you. It looks like we'll have to find another way around, Ran. I could use my jetpack, but I'm not willing to leave Laniff here without cover-"

A flash of gold at the top of the slope was her only warning before the ground in front of Laniff exploded. The red and gold armored Mandalorian went flying, crashing back into the foliage as Kadira dove for cover, just barely avoiding the wrist rocket meant for her.

"Laniff, are you alright?" Kadira snapped, rolling to her feet and swinging her rifle down from her back.

_::I'm fine! Go at her from the left, I'll flank her!::_ Laniff ordered.

Kadira darted out, only to jump back to cover when a string of blaster fire riddled the ground at her feet, almost as if Coorta had known exactly where Kadira would be.

"What the…" Realization dawned suddenly. "Laniff, she's listening in on our comms."

::_Switching_,:: Laniff acknowledged grimly.

The two both switched to a channel linked directly to their HUDs, making it harder for Coorta to find.

_::This won't take her long to crack,::_ Laniff warned. _::There's a bunker entrance off to my right. I almost landed on top of it. If we make a run for it, we should be able to make it inside. She's got us trapped between her and the animals she panicked with that last blast.::_

Kadira ducked as another wrist rocket impacted off to her right.

"I don't have a better plan. Comms off while we make a run for it," she responded, sending a few shots in what she judged to be Coorta's general direction.

_::Copy. Start running in three,::_ Laniff acknowledged before the comm went dead.

Kadira counted to three under her breath and then ran, firing continuously in case she got lucky. She saw Laniff ahead of her one moment and then he was gone, presumably down into the bunker.

"I must be crazy," Kadira muttered before running to the point where Laniff had disappeared. She felt the ground drop away from her feet and suddenly she was falling, only to strike the floor a moment later. She turned the hard landing into a roll, coming up with her rifle pointed at the entrance. Laniff was working on an outdated terminal, sending sparks flying as he struggled to get the doors to close. The old durasteel let out a squeal of protest as it began to slide shut, rusty from years of disuse. When the doors finally slammed closed, Kadira sighed and lowered her rifle, switching on her vocoder so Laniff could hear her without the comm.

"All in one piece?" she asked, rising to her feet and looking around grimly as her HUD adjusted to the darkness.

"More or less," Laniff replied. "Heh. I had no idea the floor dropped away like that. I nearly had a heart attack coming in- Kadira, you're bleeding," he interrupted himself, striding over and taking her arm to examine the damage done by the zakkeg.

Kadira shook him off, pacing in front of the closed door. "Ran and Zul are going to need our help. Do you think there's another way out of here?"

"It's a weapons bunker, _Kad'ika_. There's only one entrance so no one can sneak in. You know that," Laniff replied patiently. "Now hold still and let me see your arm. Don't look at me like that, do you want to face Coorta again with only one good arm? Or die of infection? Or you could always bleed out first."

"How would you know how I'm looking at you, Laniff? I haven't taken my helmet off."

"I've known you long enough to guess. Now sit down, I have a med kit in my pack," Laniff replied, digging around in the small pack he had brought. Ripping open a small package of bacta, he gestured for her to lean forward. Kadira did so reluctantly, anxious to find a way out of the bunker and get back to Ran and Zul. She didn't like the idea of leaving them to face Coorta alone, not with the amount of ordinance the woman apparently had at her disposal.  
There was silence for a few minutes as Laniff worked on her arm, seemingly content to leave Kadira to her thoughts.

Finally, after swabbing the wounds with bacta and bandaging them Laniff nodded. "Now, shall we see if we can find a way out of this hole? I really don't want Ran to beat Coorta without us. He'd never let me live it down, especially if we're cowering in a bunker the whole time."

Kadira laughed softly before getting to her feet and looking towards the sealed door.

"We sure there isn't any other way out of here?" she asked, watching as her HUD began a scan of the walls.

"Positive. These walls are solid durasteel, reinforced with extra solid durasteel. We Mandos build things to last," Laniff replied, rapping his hand against one wall for emphasis. "I think there might even be some beskar built in too," he added, referring to the nearly indestructible Mandalorian iron.

"So we won't have the element of surprise against Coorta. Great, I love playing fair," Kadira muttered sarcastically, turning to inspect the other side of the bunker. What she found made her grin. "Laniff get over here," she called.

Laniff joined her and let out a low whistle. "Speeder bikes, grenades, stun batons…"

"And an audio scrambler. If we link it to our HUDs and patch in Ran and Zul's comms, Coorta won't be able to read any of our transmissions," Kadira said. "And there are plenty of fun toys here for us to keep her on her toes."

Laniff nodded slowly. "Kadira… do you remember our last training mission here?" he asked, turning to face her. She could swear he was grinning, just from the way he leaned back against the wall, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "The survival one?"

"Yes. But what does that have to do with Coorta? Unless… Are you thinking-"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking," Laniff replied, causing Kadira to grin.

"Now this is going to be fun. Ready to even the odds a bit?"

* * *

Ran and Zul crashed through the jungle, fully understanding by now that Kadira and Laniff had been knocked out of the running. They were on their own unless the two Mandalorians could come up with some wild scheme to get back into the game. Something Ran wasn't willing to discount just yet.

"How much further?" Ran asked, glancing over to Zul's grim face.

Zul smiled slightly, halting next to what Ran had taken to be a sheer rock wall. Zul hurried to remove the hanging vines, revealing an old metal door that looked like it had been on Dxun for centuries.

"All we need to do is get through this door. Then we're home free," Zul explained.

Ran smiled grimly. "Then let's get to it before Coorta comes up with another surprise."

The two quickly got to work slicing the old door, careful to keep an eye on the jungle for fear of Coorta sneaking up behind them. Neither of them relished the idea of being shot in the back.

* * *

The bunker door opened with a screech of protest, two speeder bikes darting into the jungle before Coorta could even fire off a shot. She fired after them, knowing it was futile. The bikes were out of sight long before her finger hit the trigger.

Cursing profusely in Mandalorian, Coorta scrambled to her feet and began to run in the direction she knew Ran and Zul had taken. It had been a mistake to try to take the two Mandalorians out permanently before going after Scorlo and the Zabrak. She should have come back to Kadira after Ran and the spy were dead. Instead the tables had turned, placing Coorta at a disadvantage.

Still cursing her luck, Coorta slid to a halt when she stumbled into a clearing only to find Kadira Sal waiting for her, rifle aimed steadily at Coorta. Coorta's own speederbike was a twisted heap of metal, while Kadira's was wrecked beyond repair, Coorta guessed on purpose. Kadira wouldn't leave anything to chance. If the Mandalorian was to lose this battle, she was going to give Ran and Zul every chance of escape.

"_Hut'uun_," Kadira's voice was emotionless through her helmet's vocoder, her helmeted head resting against the stock of the rifle.

"Insults, Sal? And here I thought you were above that," Coorta responded, spreading her arms wide and grinning. She reached up slowly and removed her helmet, revealing blond hair braided tightly away from her face.

Kadira's rifle didn't waver as she spoke, still careful to keep any emotion out of her voice. "You killed an entire base of unarmed men. Mostly with grenades and execution shots. Do you really expect me to call you anything other than a coward?"

Coorta hesitated only a moment before grinning and rushing the green and gold armored Mandalorian. The game had just gotten much more interesting.

* * *

_A/N: First off, sorry for the super long delay! My week just kind of got away from me. Second, sorry if this reads a bit choppy, I had a hard time with this chapter for some reason, so input is super appreciated (I mean it, promise :) _

_And last, thanks for reading all this so far! I'm hoping to keep updating throughout the week, hopefully more often :)_


	7. Chapter 7

Laniff jumped off his speeder bike almost before it halted, sprinting over to the ship he knew must be Coorta's. Not many other people were stupid enough to land on Dxun. It certainly wasn't a great vacation spot.

"What do I want to do today? Oh, I don't know, getting eaten sounds like fun," Laniff muttered, glancing backwards into the jungle. "Next time, I vote we land on a pretty planet. Somewhere without nasty animals that want Mando for lunch."

Slamming a slicer into the ship's outer controls, Laniff grinned as the ramp began to lower. It seemed Coorta didn't protect her ship nearly as well as she ought to.

He sprinted up the ramp, careful to clear the doorway for traps before rushing over to the piloting console. He'd hate to make it this far only to get himself blown up. Laniff settled into the pilot's seat, looking over the controls.

"What the…" he muttered, leaning backwards. All the commands were in Concordian, a dialect of _Mando'a_. He could read and understand it easily as the two languages were mutually intelligible, but why in the galaxy Coorta would have it as her ship's language was a mystery. Mandalorian would be one thing, unless… He stood up and stepped back, looking around at the multitude of tiny symbols etched into the control panel. Each was a stylized form of a shriek hawk in midflight, some painted a dark blue. "Oh _shab_. This is bad. This is very, very bad."

Activating his comm, Laniff began to punch in commands to the ship.

"Ran? Laniff here. Kadira's busy distracting Coorta, but we've got a plan. All you have to do is get to the _Vanguard_ once you and Zul gather whatever he needs."

:_:Copy that. Glad to hear you two are still alive and kicking,::_ Ran's voice came over the comm, sounding relieved.

"Hopefully it stays that way," Laniff replied grimly, glancing at the symbols on the control panel. "And Ran? Try not to get eaten on the way back, ok?"

* * *

Kadira fired, but Coorta had already lunged forward, using a move Kadira recognized too late to send the rifle skittering out of Kadira's hands and into the jungle's thick underbrush. Kadira turned her shoulder just in time to hear a vibroblade scrape across the _beskar_, leaving a scratch in the metal. She brought her fist up as Coorta spun past, sending the gold armored woman stumbling away with a well-placed blow.

As Coorta turned, Kadira caught sight of the insignia on the woman's shoulder. Kadira felt herself go cold as she recognized the shriek hawk symbol.

"Sithspit. You're Death Watch," she said venomously, drawing her vibrosword with one fluid movement. "I should have guessed. Blood thirsty, cowardly, obviously fluent in Mando'a," she said, tilting her head as she waited for Coorta to make a move. "You have no honor, no care for those who should be your _vod_. Now the pieces all fall into place."

Coorta laughed, wiping the small trickle of blood from her mouth with the back of her hand. "Death Watch are the true Mandalorians. You're all weak, following your precious _Mand'alor_ Shysa while our civilization crumbles. Mandalorians were feared once, we were respected. We fought hard, back during the Mandalorian Wars. We ruled the galaxy with an iron fist, even the Jedi feared us. We had glory in battle. And now we're mere bounty hunters. Our _vod_ are scattered across the galaxy, risking their lives for _aruetii_ who are too cowardly to do their own dirty work. We should return to the old ways. No one could stand against us then."

"We had no honor," Kadira responded sharply, circling warily. "Those days are a blot on our history. We were little better than murdering pirates. We destroyed worlds that had no defenses, killed anyone we pleased. Is that the 'glory' Death Watch is dreaming of? You are not our _vod_. Death Watch is a radical splinter group. All you want is to return to the days where we lived off of destruction and death. You've killed the ones you now try to claim as brothers and sisters. Their blood is on the hands on Death Watch, and so you are _dar'manda_. You're not one of us, you're an enemy. More so than any _aruetii_."

Coorta's face twisted into an expression of mixed rage and disgust. "You are as blind as your _Mand'alor_, Kadira Sal," she sneered, placing her helmet back over her head and drawing her vibroblade. "Death Watch will rise, and we will destroy your kind and then return the Mandalorians to their place of honor in the galaxy."

"Not while any real Mando draws breath," Kadira retorted, shifting her grip on her vibrosword and shutting off her vocoder with a voice command. She had a feeling the time for talking was over.

Kadira saw Coorta's slight movement, no more than a tensing of the woman's muscles before the gold armored woman rushed forward with her blade swinging. Kadira spun to the side, catching the blade on her own and deflecting it off to the side before the two began exchanging frenzied blows.

Kadira just managed to dodge a blow to her unprotected neck, swinging her blade in a quick counter attack that forced Coorta to stumble backwards or risk dismemberment.

"C'mon Laniff, where are you?" Kadira murmured softly, bringing her blade up into a ready position. She could already feel the muscles in her wounded arm throbbing in rhythm with her heartbeat. Bacta could only do so much in such a short period of time, leaving Kadira doubtful as to how long she could continue this game of cat-and-mouse with Coorta.

* * *

Ran let out a low whistle as Zul led him into a small underground room of the base the two had managed to slice into. It was filled with equipment, some old and some new, all of it looking highly advanced.

"Please tell me we don't need to haul all of this back to the _Vanguard_?" Ran asked, running one hand over what looked to be a holo-projector.

Zul chuckled, kneeling down beside one of the machines and withdrawing a small datachip.

"No, all we need is this," he said, sliding it into the pouch on his belt. "It's-"

"It's best if I don't know what's on there," Ran interrupted, holding up one hand. "Just like it's best if I don't know why we're flying you to Dantooine. That way, when my pilot asks, I can honestly say I don't know."

"But you've guessed," Zul said grimly, earning a slight smile from Ran.

"I have. I've heard the rumors of a Rebel base on Dantooine. I also have sources who swear Onderon will be a message to the Empire," Ran said, noting Zul's surprise and holding up a hand. "But it's better if I've only heard those things, not had them confirmed or denied."

Zul studied Ran for a moment before nodding once. "Shall we go see what mischief your friends have cooked up?"

* * *

"Any _karking_ day now, Laniff," Kadira growled, dancing backwards out of Coorta's reach. Her battered body was beginning to protest the sharp movements Kadira was forced to put it through in order to avoid Coorta's skilled attacks. She could feel herself slowing, the multitude of small scrapes on her armor evidence of the number of blows Coorta had managed to land.

When her audio amplifiers picked up the sound of a ship coming closer, Kadira grinned. Coorta hesitated, distracted by the sound, allowing Kadira the chance to dive into the underbrush after her discarded rifle. She rolled to her feet with it in hand just in time to see Coorta's ship fly overhead with the ramp lowered.

Snapping the anti-armor attachment into place once more Kadira fired off a quick shot, focused more on startling Coorta than taking the time to aim. The woman reeled backwards, stumbling to her knees and cursing as realization suddenly dawned. All this had been a distraction for Laniff to steal Coorta's ship in order to rescue Kadira and keep Coorta from following them.

Coorta stumbled to her feet and rushed Kadira once more, knowing the rifle wouldn't allow Kadira to fight in close quarters with any ease. Kadira swung the butt of her rifle forward instinctively, catching Coorta squarely across the faceplate and sending the woman sprawling. Kadira kicked Coorta's vibroblade out of reach, kneeling down and slamming her helmeted head into Coorta's.

"You lose, _di'kuut_," Kadira growled before backing away from Coorta's unconscious form in disgust. If she couldn't still hear the sounds of animals crashing through the underbrush in the distance Kadira might have stayed, might have finished it there. As it was, time was running out, and Kadira didn't relish the thought of facing any more of Dxun's local wildlife. She slammed her hand onto her left gauntlet, activating her jetpack. The flame caught after a second of hesitation, sending Kadira shooting upwards towards the ship Laniff had commandeered.

Kadira's feet met the metal of the ramp, causing her to give a sigh of relief as she rolled inside and landed in a heap as the ramp slid shut behind her. With a groan, she removed the jetpack and stumbled to her feet, looking up to find Laniff ducking out of the cockpit.

"One Death Watch ship, successfully confiscated," he said proudly, giving Kadira an exaggerated bow. "I contacted Ran and Zul, they're asking us for cover as they make it back to the _Vanguard_. Apparently the local wildlife are still pretty stirred up by Coorta's explosion… Do you mind my asking why you left Coorta alive down there?" he added, glancing out of the tiny viewport.

"Because I'm not her," Kadira responded, removing her helmet with a sigh. "She's stranded here without a ship. But I wasn't going to shoot her while she was unconscious, Death Watch or no. I like to think I'm at least a little better than that. We'll worry about Coorta some other time."

* * *

_A/N: Reviews, please? They totally make my day, even if there's constructive criticism. It lets me know people are reading, and what I can change/do in the future to make the story more interesting :)_  
_ Hopefully I explained Death Watch fairly well... If not, they're a splinter group of Mandalorians. Pretty radical, not very nice to say the least. They've been around for a while, though sometimes they disappear long enough for people to think they've been wiped out. Most Mandalorians are faaar from fond of them. _  
_There's quite a few resources if you'd like to know more about Death Watch, all it takes is a Google search :)_


	8. Chapter 8

Ran and Zul crashed through the underbrush, no longer bothering to try to stay silent. The whole jungle seemed to have come awake thanks to Coorta's explosions. They had run across more than one hostile creature, giving Zul a chance to prove his worth to the mission once again. The Zabrak was an excellent shot with a pistol, falling most enemies before Ran even had a chance to raise his own weapon.

Ran could feel his breath burning in his chest as he ran, reminding him that he'd been getting lazy now that he had Kadira to do the heavy lifting when it came to rescues. He was finding he preferred the position of Advisor to that of field agent. Fewer things tried to eat him when he was inside a ship.

The jungle canopy rustled, alerting Ran to the presence of a small ship flying directly overhead. A ship that was certainly not the _Vanguard_. He cursed, veering to the side and knocking Zul to the ground in the faint hope that the ship would pass over them. Instead it hovered in place, leaving Ran with no doubt that the ship's lifescanners had already pinpointed him and Zul.

"Kadira, Laniff!" he shouted into his comm, looking around frantically for some sort of shelter. The jungle offered none sufficient to withstand an attack from Coorta's ship. "It looks like Coorta has managed to track us down. I need you two to shoot her ship down before she takes us out."

_::No can do, Ran,::_ Laniff replied cheerfully_. ::I don't really wanna shoot myself out of the sky… I think Kadira agrees, though she's laughing too hard for me to really be sure.::_

::_Ran, we stole Coorta's ship,::_ Kadira explained, her calm voice debunking Laniff's statement. _::She's unconscious back by the bunker where we lost contact with you. We're covering you from the air. I suggest you get moving Cityboy, you've got a pretty nasty group of crits chasing you.::_

It took a moment for the information to process before Ran scrambled to his feet. He reached out a hand to Zul, still looking up at the ship in disbelief. Zul took the outstretched hand and pulled himself to his feet, chuckling at Ran's expression.

"I take it that was unexpected?" Zul asked dryly, brushing the dirt off his tattooed arms before breaking back into a run.

"Unexpected is an understatement," Ran muttered, a wry smile pulling at his mouth as he started after Zul. He could hear the sound of bombardment as Kadira and Laniff opened fire on the jungle behind him, apparently trying to turn back the closest of Ran and Zul's pursuers. By the time the two reached the _Vanguard_ most of Dxun's wildlife had turned their mad stampede in another direction.

Coorta's ship set down next to the _Vanguard_, the landing not nearly as smooth as Ran would have expected. As Kadira exited the ship, she pointed back at Laniff accusingly.

"He was the one flying, not me," she said, removing her helmet and lifting one brow at Ran. "So no comments on my piloting skills."

Ran chuckled and gestured to Coorta's ship. "You just stole a ship out from under Coorta's nose. I think I can afford to cut you some slack."

Kadira's smile was tight, causing Ran to frown.

"Problem?"

"Let's get on board the _Vanguard_. I'll explain there. Don't look so crushed, there's no way I'm letting you fly my ship. Do you have any idea how much it cost me?" Kadira asked, lifting one brow at him pointedly. "Laniff is going to hold on to what he's now calling the _Revenge_. Said he needs a new ship anyway, and he _is_ the one who managed to steal it."

Laniff waved from the ramp of the _Revenge _giving Ran an elaborate bow. Ran rolled his eyes skyward before he ducked inside the _Vanguard, _following Kadira.

* * *

"And Death Watch is…?" Ran asked slowly, leaning backwards in his seat after listening to Kadira's news. His dark eyes were troubled as they followed Kadira's pacing form around the navigational room aboard the _Vanguard_. She hadn't been able to sit down ever since making the jump into hyperspace. He was considering trying her method of throwing a hydrospanner, but wasn't sure what her reaction would be.

"Death Watch is a group who believes Mandalorians should go back to what they see as our glory days. The days when we were conquerors. But they're more than that. They've been responsible for the deaths of countless Mandalorians, as well as _aruetii_," Kadira saw the question in Ran's face. "They believe that outsiders are killing Mandalorian society." She rubbed her hands over her face, looking worn. "They're murderers. Have you heard of the Battle of Galidraan?"

Ran frowned, trying to draw the slightly familiar name from his memory with no success. Finally he shook his head.

"It was a battle between Mandalorians and Jedi before the Clone Wars," Kadira explained. "It was part of the Mandalorian Civil War. A group of Jedi attacked an army of True Mandalorians led by Jango Fett. The Mandos were hired to combat a group of rebels by the planet's governor, but the Jedi were informed that we were killing 'political activists'. Long story made short, most of the Mandos were wiped out. Some stories even went so far as to say Jango was the only Mandalorian left in the galaxy, that's how bad it was," Kadira sat down finally, running one hand through her hair. "To get to the point, Death Watch arranged all of it in order to get rid of the Mandalorians who opposed them. And now it's happening again. Death Watch is rising, and the Mandalorian Protectors are firmly in their sights. All this is just the start," Kadira gestured vaguely around the ship. "Coorta isn't interested in you, not personally. You're just a job to her, exactly like Zul is… But me, and now Laniff? We're personal."

"And what is she to you?" Ran asked softly, watching as Kadira's head snapped up at the question. Her gray eyes narrowed in thought, their expression hard.

"…She's my enemy," Kadira said finally, her rasping voice soft and more dangerous than Ran had ever heard it. "She chose this path and Dxun was her last chance to turn back. I'm not going to stand by and wait for Death Watch to destroy my _vod_."

Ran was silent for a moment, leaning forward to look into Kadira's face more closely. He found himself slightly surprised by the intensity he found there.

"You're serious about this," Ran murmured, frowning slightly.

"Yes," Kadira responded simply.

"And what happens if she catches you?" Ran asked. "If she chooses not to kill you right off, you know she won't just turn you over to the Empire. Laniff was serious when he said she had some nasty fate planned for you."

Kadira's face became grim once more. "So I make sure she doesn't take me alive."

The beeping of the ship's navicomputer interrupted any response Ran might have made, leaving Kadira to rise and make her way to the cockpit. Ran felt the change in the ship's movement as they dropped out of hyperspace. He rose to his feet, looking out the small viewport window. He could make out the round orb of Dantooine, looking incredibly peaceful from this height. No one would guess it was the site of a Rebel base.

Ran glanced towards the cockpit, his gaze troubled. Things were moving too quickly. He had placed Kadira in a position to draw the attention of a Death Watch member, as well as drawn the Empire's notice to her.

"It wasn't meant to be this way," Ran murmured, looking back out at the planet before him. "You were supposed to be faceless, unknown. You were meant to stay the wildcard, Kadira." But things had gone wrong starting with Belsavis. Ran's face tightened and he clenched his face. Alaida Dain was the root of all of this. Somehow, she knew Ran's moves before he did. She knew how he would act, where he would go… And she was always ready with a counter-attack. Ran slammed one fist into the wall of the _Vanguard_, not noticing the sharp pain it left in his hand.

Kadira stood quietly in the doorway, watching Ran. Finally she spoke up.

"I'm still the wildcard, Cityboy," she said softly. When he looked at her, he saw the quiet confidence in her eyes. "Coorta and the Empire might think they know me well enough to predict what I'll do, but they're wrong." A small smile tilted her lips, something like mischief lighting her eyes. "I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

* * *

Alaida Dain landed her ship on Dxun, scowling out the cockpit window at the gold armored Mandalorian lounging casually against one of the planet's massive trees. Lowering the ramp, Alaida waited with arms crossed and eyes narrowed. As soon as Coorta entered the ship Alaida rose slowly to her feet, anger evident in every movement.

"You said you could take care of this," the words were low and poisonous.

"And you said Scorlo was cautious," Coorta retorted, removing her helmet to glare at Alaida. "Instead, I walk into a base with a wall that's been blown to bits with his partners already in Onderon's jungle escorting the Zabrak to Sal's ship. Not only that, but apparently he has two Mandalorians at his beck and call, not one."

"Then we try again. But this time, _we_ strike first," Alaida said, her voice cold. She glanced up and saw the expression on Coorta's face. "You'll get to hunt down Kadira and her companion, Coorta. You'd best not fail this time."

"And what of Scorlo?"

Alaida smiled, turning back to the ship's sophisticated controls. "I'll take care of Ran… He's had this coming for a long time," she murmured as the ship lifted slowly off the ground, guided by Alaida's expert hands.

* * *

_A/N: Thoughts, anyone? I'm not above begging for reviews :)_


	9. Epilogue

Kadira stepped cautiously out of the _Vanguard_, her helmet firmly in place. She continuously scanned the information her HUD provided, wondering what exactly they were doing on a planet like Dantooine. It was small and quiet, with nothing that explained why the Empire wanted Zul so badly or why he had asked to be dropped here.

Kadira found the planet's stillness even more suspicious than the noise and roar of Nar Shadaa, which was known for its criminal activity. She kept expecting someone to ambush them any moment and kept her hand resting casually on her scout pistol for safety's sake. Kadira smiled wryly inside her helmet, realizing she was becoming as paranoid as Ran. Apparently it was a side effect of having the Empire on your back.

She turned to face Zul, studying him quietly as she tried to discover what all this was about. The zabrak had given nothing away on the flight to Dantooine, easily dodging Kadira's questions.

"I'm still not going to explain," Zul said with a grin, looking straight into Kadira's expressionless visor.

Kadira sighed and craned her neck backwards to look up at the sky. "What is it with men and secrets?" she mused, but her voice was light. Looking back to the Zabrak, she tilted her head slightly. "Keep your head down, Zul," she said, her voice suddenly serious. "Something tells me the Empire is going to be after you with a vengeance now that you've slipped through their fingers. If you ever need anything, you know how to reach Cityboy, and he has no problems dragging me off on his adventures."

Zul smiled, looking between the two. "I'll keep the offer in mind. But something tells me you two are going to have your hands full now. Watch your own backs for a while, the galaxy will survive without your rescues for a few months. It might be best to let things die down for a while."

Kadira glanced at Ran, who smiled grimly. His thoughts were obviously on Alaida Dain and Coorta Mashiri. "I think you may be right, my friend," he said soberly.

Zul nodded and shook hands with the two before disappearing into the thick grass of Dantooine, lost from sight almost instantly. Kadira kept her gaze fixed on the lifescan readout in her HUD until he disappeared even from that.

"…You're not going to tell me what's here, are you?" Kadira asked finally, earning a chuckle from Ran.

"You're starting to figure this out, Kadira," he observed dryly.

Kadira sighed, not really expecting any other answer. "Fine, keep your secrets. Laniff said he'll meet us at the fueling station, so we'd better get going if we don't want a lecture on how long we took."

* * *

"That move's illegal," Kadira pointed out, leaning back in her chair and running her hands through her hair.

"Like you're one to complain about legal versus illegal," Ran retorted, continuing to make his move on the dejarik board.

Kadira tilted her head in acknowledgement of the point, studying the holographic board with a furrowed brow. She had a feeling this was not a game she was going to win. Everywhere she looked, Ran seemed to have a countermove set up.

"Sithspit," she muttered, leaning forward to study the board with narrowed eyes. Why did she have to insist on _this_ game? She should have known by now that Ran excelled at strategy.

"I told you it should have been a blaster contest," Laniff commented from the other side of the room. He was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and his feet propped up on one of the small tables. He had left the _Revenge_ in the hands of a trusted mechanic, not wanting to risk flying the ship to Mandalore until it had been thoroughly checked for traps. He didn't relish the idea of giving Coorta the last laugh by blowing him up when he tried to activate the shields or some other function.

Ran smiled slightly and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest smugly. His eyes traveled over Kadira's face, stopping on the burn scar he had noticed so often in the past. She had been going without her helmet while on the _Vanguard_, seemingly comfortable enough with Ran to let him see her without the t-visor helmet. She had even shed some of the heavier pieces of her armor, allowing her to scrutinize the scratches left in the metal by her close encounter with the zakkeg.

"I got it in the Corellian SpecOps," Kadira said, absently touching the scar and causing Ran's eyes to snap to hers in surprise. Kadira smiled slightly. "You've been staring at it off and on for the past few days," she said wryly.

"Am I allowed to ask how it happened?" Ran asked, lifting one brow inquisitively.

Laniff opened one eye to look at the two curiously. He had been wondering how long it would take Ran to ask about the scar.

Kadira shrugged and leaned back, stretching her shoulders out but keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the dejarik board, still trying to find a safe move. "Like I said, it was back when I was in the SpecOps. I worked with a partner then. We were in the middle of a raid when things went wrong. The whole thing ended up being a setup, and we barely made it out of there alive. Twelve other teams weren't so lucky. If we were smart we would have walked away as soon as we got out, but we were both too stubborn for our own good. We went back in and the whole place was crawling with enemies. We knew there were more teams who had made it to the other side of the place, but it took us what felt like forever to make it there," she said, looking up at Ran. "I still have nightmares about that place. There was almost no cover, with plenty of people trying to stop us from reaching the others. Together we pulled out three teams. My partner and I were about to exit after sweeping the building when some _di'kut _tossed a plasma grenade in. Neither of us saw it until it was too late. She managed to jump back in time to earn only minor burns, but I was too slow," Kadira gestured to the scar dismissively. "And so I'm left with this and a creepy voice."

"Hey, the creepy voice comes in handy when you wanna scare people," Laniff raised both hands as Kadira lifted one eyebrow at him. "What? I'm just saying. It can be useful when you want to terrify someone."

"Is that how you earned the Bloodstripes?" Ran asked, nodding to the yellow piping sewn to Kadira's pant legs.

Kadira nodded, looking back to the dejarik board and making a small move. "My partner and I both earned them. Last I heard, she was training new recruits. They all idolize her."

"And you?" Laniff asked, suddenly curious. He'd never heard this part of the story. "How come you didn't get a training job?"

Kadira smiled slightly. "You have to be able to yell at recruits. It's a good day when I can talk at a normal speaking level. Yelling at some _di'kut_ newbie isn't really an option."

Ran narrowed his eyes, studying her closely.

"What's the Mandalorian word for 'hero'?" he asked finally.

Laniff answered before Kadira got the chance, closing his eyes once more.

"We don't have one. Coward, idiot, lazy… we have words for those. Lots of words, actually. But to be courageous is expected of a Mando," he lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Anything else is unacceptable. Only cowards and idiots get a special name."

Kadira frowned suddenly, sitting up straight and tilting her head to the side. "Do you hear that?"

Ran frowned, hearing the low beeping noise coming from nearby. "Is that one of your alerts?" he asked, but Kadira shook her head slowly. The sound was different, more muffled than any that would come from her ship's systems. Laniff also got to his feet, his eyebrows pulled into a worried frown. He pulled his helmet over his head, running a scan with his HUD. Ran glanced at Kadira, who was still shaking her head.

"It's not one of my alarms," she said slowly. "It almost sounds like-"

A sudden explosion cut her off, lighting up the rec room with a blinding flash. Laniff slammed into Ran, knocking him aside as Kadira was thrown backwards into the durasteel wall of the ship. Her last thought was gratitude for the _beskar'gam_ pieces she still wore before her head snapped backwards, striking the wall hard and sending blackness crashing over her.

* * *

Kadira regained consciousness slowly, the shrill sound of multiple alarms doing nothing for the sharp pain in her head. Her vision swam, rendering her surroundings a gray blur that made her head ache all the more. She coughed hoarsely as her lungs informed her of the smoke and grit in the air, making breathing difficult. Reaching one hand shakily to her forehead she flinched as the pain in her head intensified. She brought her gloved hand before her eyes, finding the cloth sticky with blood from the gash that split her eyebrow. She dropped her hand back to the ground, trying to force her vision to stop spinning as she blinked to try to clear the blood from her eyes.

When she was finally able to see more than a few inches in front of her, Kadira took a slow breath, wincing at the acrid taste of smoke in her mouth. She could feel something heavy pinning her to the ground. Her best guess was that it was the dejarik board. It was the only thinking karking heavy enough to keep her from moving even so much as an inch. Sharp pain exploded through her body when she tried to wiggle free, forcing her to stop and try to push back the blackness at the edges of her vision. She caught sight of Laniff's armored form a few feet away. His helmet had taken the worst of the blast, leaving his faceplate cracked. The left side of his body was pinned solidly to the floor, his pistol just out of reach. He was trying to work his way out from under the debris, with minimal success.

A pair of black boots stopped just within Kadira's vision, blocking her view of Laniff as their owner knelt down to stare into Kadira's face. Kadira jerked back violently, reaching for the pistol that was normally holstered at her waist, forgetting to move slowly. A pained groan was torn from her lips as her body protested even that movement as she fought to reach her weapon.

Alaida Dain laughed softly, shaking her head as Kadira's hand met only air. "Now, is that any way to greet an old friend?" she asked, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction as she dangled Kadira's pistol from her fingertips.

"_Demagolka_," Kadira spat as she glanced around the room in search of Ran.

"Scorlo is gone," Alaida said, some of the satisfaction leaking out of her voice as she rose to her feet. She looked down at Kadira. "And I don't think I want to ask what '_demagolka'_ means. "

"It means you're a monster, roughly translated," Laniff's pained voice provided, the words gravelly through his vocoder. A sharp crack followed by a grunt of pain made Kadira wince in sympathy.

"Get these two onto my ship," Alaida ordered briskly, waving two stormtroopers forward. "Remove their armor and any weapons you find."

"Coward," Laniff muttered in Basic, apparently wanting Alaida to know exactly what he said. Another grunt followed the statement as one of the stormtroopers drove a booted foot into Laniff's side.

Kadira felt the weight lifted off her and her world spun as one of the stormtroopers hauled her to her feet. Kadira slammed her elbow backwards into the trooper's stomach and would have followed it up with a second attack, but blackness swarmed her vision at the sudden movement and she stopped, struggling just to breathe.

_Ran, I hope you got out of here,_ she thought grimly, lifting her head to glance around the ruined rec room. Her gaze locked onto a figure in the corner, clad in gold armor. She felt herself stiffen as Coorta removed her helmet, meeting Kadira's dark look with a slow smile.

So much for not being taken alive.

* * *

_A/N: Thoughts? I really really do love reviews, and I swear I don't bite. :)_  
_Book 3 is in the works, so stay tuned ;)_


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